Keep on Dancing…More SYTYCD Auditions

With another audition episode out of the way, we are one step closer to Vegas. Last night the show was in Salt Lake City and Dallas – both strong dance cities. Salt Lake alone sent 42 dancers off the Vegas. Crazy! And based on the quality of dancers we’ve seen thus far I think it’s going to be one hell of a season on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE.

Once we get to Vegas we’ll be talking a bit more about some of the dancers. But for now, here’s just a few that stood out for me last night.

Chelsie Hightower – I’m not a big fan of the sob stories. I find them manipulating and unnecessary on a show of this caliber. Am I suppose to have sympathy for a family who lost everything including “several cars”? Come on now. But it’s reality TV and I must endure. If I’m going to have to sit through the melodrama I expect to see some good dancing, and that’s just what I got from Chelsie Hightower. Actually I thought I saw some great dancing. Despite being a bit too orange, Chelsie was gorgeous and really sexy. She has a lot of natural talent and a ton of charisma. Unlike some of the other women who went went further than they should based on their looks alone, I think Chelsie showed real promise. See you in Vegas, Chelsie.

Gev Manoukian – One of my favorite dancers of the night was ice skating B-Boy dancer Gev Manoukian. One of the best things about this show is that people who have auditioned in the past and didn’t make it through take the words and wisdom of the judges and use that to make themselves better, more well rounded dancers. And that’s exactly what Gev did after being rejected two seasons ago. He took dance lessons and learned how to incorporate many styles into his core of breakdancing. His interpretation of the music was fantastic as was his overall movement. I thought Gev was one of the most versatile dancers we’ve seen thus far. Looking forward to seeing what this kid can do in Vegas.

Kelli Baker– Kelli was one of the last contestants we saw in Utah. I’m sure kids and tweens recognize her from her bit part in “High School Musical” – a movie her mother helped to choreograph. I kind of got the vibe that Kelly might wear a shirt that says “I’m kind of a big deal…and so is my mom”, but as long as she can dance, I can deal. And dance she can. I thought she was a tremendous talent and I can see her in the Top 20 easily.

Ryann Race – One of the most surprising contestants of the night for me was Ryann Race. A DJ in a strip club, Ryan came across as a bit of a goofball at first. But when he started moving he showed real promise. He was so smooth in his movements. I was a bit surprised that he did as well as he did in the choreography round. Add Ryann to the long list of people from Salt Lake heading off to Vegas. And did you see him crying as the end? Just goes to show that you should never judge a book by its cover….or a dancer by his day job.

Joshua Allen – Joshua was another stand out from last night. His pop ‘n lock was really different because it had some real fluidity to it while still remaining strong. And this guy is way more than just a pop ‘n locker. Did you see the height he got on his jump? He sailed through choreography (which is good because he’s actually a dance teacher). But I think he showed the most promise in his two seconds of joy after he found of he was going to Vegas. He did this spin which was just incredible.

A few other favorites from last night included Matt Dorame (a bit over rehearsed but good) and Thayne Jasperson (whom they should have spent more time focusing on because I like what I saw).

And sadly I have to include my least favorite dancer so far…Paige Jones. A beauty queen from Dallas, this Elle Woods wannabe annoyed the bejesus out of me last night. If she makes it into the Top 20 I don’t know what I’ll do. She was THAT annoying. She was a decent enough dancer, but I thought the judges were insightful they said she danced with no heart. She was borderline creepy and not someone I want to see on my favorite reality show.

What did you think of last night’s auditions? Were there dancers that stood out for you? Does anyone else just wait and wait until we get to choreography for that two second glance at Travis Wall?